Things I haven't done:
- packed clothes - I don't own any warm clothes any more and haven't bought any
- arranged visas - I think I'll be fine
- looked into currency - I do hope they accept Indonesian Rupiah over there
- worried about health - vaccinations
- organised decent good insurance - this morning bought the first one that a Google search returned but I need to check if it's real or not I think it's Danish
- packed my bags - in any way shape or form
- printed out my flights and/or itinerary and/or
- done my washing
- left instructions for my maid
Things I have done:
- bought fake tan (blacking up for Africa, as it were ...)
- bought 3 pith helmets to blend in with the other pseudo colonialists
- bought Malaria pills. "Surely they have malaria in Indonesia," I thought to myself, followed by "and surely they won't ask me for a prescription".
Today while I was waiting for my take-away lunch I popped in to the chemist to buy malaria tablets. They didn't really understand what I needed but malaria is a common word. Before long, she (she with the green cross on her lapel) returned with a package that had a diagram of a mosquito on it. Good enough for me.
The instructions are in Indonesian but with Green's help we figured out that I must take 1 tablet today, then 1 every week "on this day".
The price for this medication came to 40 cents. That didn't exactly fill me with a sense of confidence in the drugs, or in Green's advice.
The mosquito image is compelling though.
I took my first pill whilst still in the chemist and they seemed alarmed that I didn't use water. It's now a few hours later I can feel a wave of something which has overcome me. I don't think it's a sense of protection. Or relief. Maybe it's just some old fashioned poisoning.
